Researchers Say as Many as 35% of Returning Iraqi War Soldiers Will Have PTSD

Researchers out of Stanford University say that as many as 35% of returning American soldiers will experience PTSD and that the VA hospital system needs to increase mental health services capacity to meet the coming need for care.

Management science researchers say that the VA hospital
system can expect to treat PTSD in as many as 35% of returning Iraqi war soldiers.

The researchers, out of Stanford University and the Naval
Postgraduate School, say that the rapid pace of combat redeployment (a rate
not seen since world war 2) has contributed to this sudden dramatic increase in PTSD occurrence
rates amongst armed forces veterans.

To come up with a projected PTSD incidence rate, the researchers
used mathematical models that computed the future rate using current PTSD prevalence
rates among returning vets and redeployment data as two of many variables.

PTSD can take months or even years to emerge after stress
exposure and so the projected rate of 35% doubles what current surveys of
returning troops reveal.

They say that the VA hospital system, which is already
strained in its ability to deliver mental health services, needs to increase capabilities
to meet a coming increase in demand. Planning for capacity increases is
complicated by the time delay between stress exposure and the emergence of
symptoms, as well as by the redeployment overseas of some affected troops. The
researchers say their model, which predicts a real need for services over the next
years, can help the hospital administrators plan effective capacity increases.

Imbalanced gut bacteria may increase your risk of anxiety, depression, obesity and a host of other diseases. Learn how digestive bacteria can cause anxiety and find out how dietary changes can help you instill or protect an optimal balance of beneficial bacteria.Read Article